my knee, version 2.0

[sundial]

It's been 5+ months since my surgery and I'm now experiencing fewer days of fatigue and I'm riding my base mileage at least once a week. Although I don't have joint pain, I do have mild muscle pain when I am on my feet for extended periods of time or when I have been riding lots of hills. When it starts getting stiff and unhappy I put on my nifty frozen gel packed knee wrap, pop a couple of Tylenols, lay down and watch the tour, and I'm good to go in a couple of hours.

I've found that riding a mountain bike is the most comfortable and my knee agrees. I don't know if it's because I'm sitting more upright and there's less tension on the muscle groups or what but I am not nearly as sore after riding my mtb as I am when I ride my road bike. I am having to pedal slower for the time being as I don't have the flexibility of my old knee just yet and cannot ride at a higher cadence. So I'm happily mashing the miles away.

Riding with platforms is my only option at this point and I'm happy to do so. The first several dozen pedal strokes are awkward as I begin the ride with more of my heel on the pedal. Eventually as I warm up I am able to center the the arch over the pedal--but that's as far as it will go at this point. Some days I think about my Frogs and my carbon soled mtb shoes and wonder if I'll ever get to use them again. I know that losing some flexibility is nothing compared to what I could haven encountered post op--like a staph infection, or too small of a spacer in the joint, or failure of the replacement joint. I know that I am very, very fortunate to have had the surgery go without a hitch. So if this is as bad as it's going to get, it's pretty darned good.

The new knee is giving me back my life and I am taking it all in at a more relaxed pace. I have an appreciation for the little victories of the day and it serves to remind me just how far I've come. Gone are the days of limping when I walk, or popping ibuprofen like M&M's, or experiencing gout flare ups that would sideline me for several days. Those days are thankfully behind me now. I look forward to the fall season when I will be turning a new corner in my recovery and will hopefully enjoy longer periods in the saddle. But for now, it's a season of long, hot summer days filled with shorter rides on the lonely, dusty roads of the back country.

[bmccasland]

Sundial - I have a friend that had bilateral total knees done, in May I think. She's not ready to walk far at all, but is getting around the house better. There is light at the end of the tunnel, and it isn't the oncoming train.

I'm recovering from ACL repair, and am happy to hear that in a couple more months my knee will have forgiven me. Looking forward to life without a cane, soreness, and otherwise too gimpy or like you said "popping ibuprofen like M&M's."

[sundial]

Beth, your friend is brave for having both knees done at the same time. I would have waited at least 3 months between knees just so I have at least one that I could put more weight bearing on it. I remember my surgeon telling me it will be at least 6 months before I feel pretty good and at least 1 to 1 1/2 years before I'm fully recovered. I look at it as my personal Mt. Everest. I've learned that pushing the knee only slows my recovery process. In this instance it's no pain, more gain.

Are you doing well in your recovery? It takes those muscles at least 3 months to recover and it's hard waiting on new and improved knees to get there. Are people pretty accommodating to your needs at work?

[OakLeaf]

Glad you're making progress sundial, thanks for keeping us up to date.

[bmccasland]

Are you doing well in your recovery? It takes those muscles at least 3 months to recover and it's hard waiting on new and improved knees to get there. Are people pretty accommodating to your needs at work?

Things are going OK. My PT says I'm ahead of things, doing really well. But after a morning PT session, things stiffen up pretty good. I do force myself to do the stairs (1 story) down to lunch and back up now. The big thing I have to beg off is field work. I don't have endurance on flat, I certainly can't be out on rugged terraine. Fortunately much of my job now is at a desk. My goal right now is to be a local tourist in 2 weeks when a good friend flies in for vacation.